Using gardening as a metaphor for living... This blog is how some plants & flowers, creepy things, and the dead brought me back to life.

Saturday, February 4, 2017

...in defense of leggings, well, not exactly...

“Clothes make the man.

Naked people have little or

no influence on society.”

~ Mark Twain

It all started because Halloween was on a Monday
last year and I, the one who usually organizes the department parties, was
taking a class at night. Instead of an English Department Halloween party, we opted
to postpone our merriment and have a Legend of Sleepy Hollow party. This, of
course, meant that I needed a costume. While I was in Colonial Williamsburg, I
spied a pair of leggings with the Headless Horseman. When I asked for the name
of the brand, I was told LuLaRoe. At that
point, I had heard the name but it meant nothing. I found my Headless Horseman
leggings on Ebay and my outfit was complete, and, well, the leggings were super
comfortable.

About that time I had a friend from high school who
decided to become a consultant aka an in-home retailer and added me to her
Facebook group. Long story short, the company makes limited patterns in limited
styles so the consultants may only get the pattern you want in a size much too
small or much too large. In the latter case, you throw a belt on it and work
with what you have. These must-have designs are referred to as “unicorns” and
people can get a little nuts. OR, you can try to find what you want on Ebay and
pay above retail prices; admittedly, I have done this.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably
noticed that I’ve posted numerous pictures of my latest leggings collection
along with dresses and skirts that I’ve purchased. I’ve joined a dozen LuLaRoe
Facebook groups looking for my own unicorns. But, there’s more to this story…
and for me to tell it, I need to go back almost two decades to when I was
applying to graduate school for my Master’s degree.

Out of undergrad, I have a few jobs that weren’t
exactly me but hey, they were jobs. Being in entry level positions with a Bachelor’s
degree left this girl in a position of trying to figure out how to make ends
meet. I also LOVED having parties from Tupperware to Pampered Chef to
PartyLite. And let me tell you, I spent a ton of money on PartyLite. I loved
those candles and I still do. Back then, I decided to become a consultant. I
bought the box of products for a few hundred dollars to begin my tiny business.
I never made much but it was fun; it helped me be social; and, when I decided
to go to grad school and needed to pay application fees, I recall one of those
PartyLite paychecks coming in at just the right time.

Even after my Master’s degree I ended up in a place
where I needed four jobs in order to pay all my bills and student loans. Fast
forward to 2017, I have a pretty darn good life so when I *work* a second gig
the money goes to some charitable cause… but I will always be grateful for my
little candle consultant business and I will never poke fun at someone who is
trying to work to make her life a bit better.

When I was added to the first LuLaRoe Facebook
group, I thought nothing of it. Shortly after, an acquaintance made a snide
remark about those who were LuLaRoe consultants in a public gathering. It
seemed harsh so I spoke up and that’s when I was somehow felt double-dog-dared
to prove a point. Her point was that I wouldn’t be able to wear LuLaRoe because
the clothing and leggings were for “homely” ladies and that there wouldn’t be
anything gothy I would be able to find. Basically, she knew I wore all black
(mostly) and wanted to make a somewhat-public challenge. And being an INFJ on
the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator, I am decisive, strong-willed (or as my momma
says “stubborn”), and an advocate.

Regardless of proving my point, which again if you’ve
seen my social media feed I certainly have, I have met several women who I
would not have met without the clothing. They’re hard-working women who are
trying to have day jobs and get a bit more money while simultaneously trying to
spend time with their family. One consultant lost everything a few years ago
when her son was diagnosed with cancer. Her well-to-do economic status
plummeted into a situation of medical bills and she, who had been a stay at
home mom, had to go back to work. When no one would hire her, she started her
own business.

While most of the consultants have never met a goth
and don’t exactly get my style, they try. When I posted my pattern “unicorn,” a
consultant wrote, “I don’t mean any offense but it looks a bit like something
Beetle Juice would wear.” My response, “Exactly!”

Plain black leggings have become a major unicorn in
the LuLaRoe world and I won’t reveal any sources but before a pair was released
in an online sale the consultant messaged me knowing that I would want them.
Let me tell you, that might not seem fair but it was a great business move on
her part because I keep going back to her online shop before all others.

I own two pair of these infamous black leggings and
each time I’ve paid retail; and, they are better than any of the leggings I’ve
bought in the past.

Now, I did go a bit crazy for some Christmas
leggings that actually had a Santa unicorn print. I bit like crazy in Ebay but
feared I would lose them to the point that I ended up bidding and winning to
auctions. Whatever… it happens.

Honestly, most of the patterns aren’t me; but then,
many of the patterns in stores in the mall aren’t me either. The LuLaRoe
dresses that I buy (The Carly and the Amelia) are dress patterns that I love
and that I have loved and purchased in similar versions throughout my life. I
have always loved leggings (partly because I have always loved finding footless
tights… wow, I have this thing for foot-freedom but anyway). When LuLaRoe just
isn’t a thing anymore, I will still love the items I’ve purchased.

My acquaintance’s snide comment led me to want to
defend them and prove her wrong; but, in the end, I found another online community
who were happy as they were. They have been nothing but positive and nice to me
and each other.

I'm so jealous of all you shorter gals who can easily fit into fun and funky leggings! Legging never fit properly -- they are always too short for me, becoming capris rather than full-length leggings. And when I get "long" or "tall" they end up being cut for gals with no hips or thighs. sigh ... so jelly.